Steel and Stone
by Mr. Bigg
Summary: A robot attack starts the Titans on an investigation leading to the place where Cyborg was created. Cyborg must now find the answer to the questions surrounding his origins. TBC.


Disclaimer: Teen Titans are not my property

"Hey Cyborg! What are black, white and red all over?" Beast Boy asked, ducking under the white-hot plasma bolts.

"You, if you keep being stupid! Now take out that plasma canon!" Cyborg retorted, jumping for cover. "It figures a huge, menacing war machine decides to rampage _after_ I get my full body wax," the titanic Titan muttered, noticing the gleam of his cannon was already losing luster.

The war robot whirled around, becoming a tornado of fire. "Raven! Could do with a shield right about now!" Beast Boy yelped, jumping out the war robot's path. As he did, a rock clipped his head, leaving him dazed. The machine stopped spinning, training its weapons on the green child. Red, slit-like eyes slowed infernally as long, spidery upper arms anchors themselves into the pavement of the street. The lower arms, bristling with weaponry, trapped Beast Boy in its sights. "TARGET ACQUIRED," The machine roared. "THREAT ASSESSMENT...MINIMAL. TERMINATION PROTOCOL INITIATED."

"I'm afraid not," Robin said coolly, attacking with his staff. The war robot dodged agilely, maneuvering the urban terrain with unparalleled grace. Large, blunt claws smashed the asphalt without missing a beat. Robin was forced to ditch his attack so he could dodge fast enough. As he lost his footing, he shouted "STAR! NOW!"

Starfire unleashed a salvo of starbolts from above, peppering the ebony robot with emerald light. Falling to earth, her verdant eyes crackled with power as she fired a stream of energy at the metal beast, sending it scurrying for cover.

"I do not understand... surely this creature is almost destroyed, no?" Starfire asked, helping Robin to his feet.

Robin shrugged, grabbing his weapon. "I've got a better question-Where the heck is Raven?"

"Uh, hey. You might want to save the questions until after you HELP ME DESTROY THE MONSTER ATTACKING ME!" Cyborg cried, firing his sonic cannon wildly.

"Oh, my head burns...." Beast Boy mumbled, rubbing his sore noggin gently. As per usual, he seemed totally unaware of the fight going on around him.

The war machine closed in on the metal Titan, screaming in its horrid voice, "OBJECTIVE LOCATED. INITIATING RECAPTURE SUBROUTINE." The infernal robot's weapons shut down as powerful claws trapped Cyborg in their strong grip.

From the skies above, Raven watched the battle. The enemy was seemingly invincible: it exhibited near-flawless offensive and defensive maneuvers, an adaptable combat program, and seemed to counter the Titan's attacks.

"Someone built it just for us..." She muttered. "But who ever did underestimated us." Floating towards the battle, she tapped a small portion of her spiritual energy. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

As the war machine ran away with a struggling Cyborg, it never did see the truck flying towards it...

Cyborg went flying as the vehicle collided, driving the robot into the pavement. The machine was unfazed, however, throwing the truck back at the young witch. Cyborg quickly got up, ribbing the gas tank from the underside of a nearby car. "HEY ROBIN! GOT A LIGHT!?" He cried, hurling the tank and the robot.

"Hit the deck!" Robin yelled, tossing several flash-bangs at the gas tank. The street erupted, leaving the robot at the explosion's epicenter.

The flames died quickly, leaving the rock and earth a charred black. A gaping crater in the street was yet another testament to the thunderous blast. "Is... is it destroyed?" Starfire asked, leaning over the edge of the crater.

"ERROR! ERROR ERROR ERROR! PRIMARY DEFENSE BREACHED! INITIATING APOCALYPSE PROTOCOL!" The robot screeched, launching itself from the crater. Half of the ebony armor had been stripped away, leaving circuit board guts and metal bones to trail on the street. One functional upper limb pinned Starfire to the shattered machine as the robot began a countdown sequence.

"What's going on? What's 'Apocalypse Protocol'?" Beast Boy asked.

"I don't know... but when in the super-hero business has a countdown ever resulted in something good?" Raven asked.

"Hang on, Star! We're gonna get you free!" Robin cried, throwing himself at the robot. The war machine would not be moved, however, rooting itself to the spot with strong, lanky limbs. The incessant countdown blared in the background, closing in on zero.

Cyborg ran at the statuesque robot, ramming a massive shoulder into its side. "Scanner's detecting a huge energy pulse in this 'bot. This thing's a walking nuke!" He cried, raining blows on the machine.

"Um, I am not panicking, but I would very much appreciate it if you would hurry and free me now!" Starfire cried.

"Working... on it..." Robin said through strained teeth as he and Cyborg tugged on the metal arm imprisoning their friend.

"TEN SECONDS REMAIN!" cried the machine.

"Jeez, must I do everything?" Beast Boy sighed, disappearing from site. Nobody could see, but a green amoeba slithered through the minute fractures in the robots' head. Suddenly, the robot burst asunder, leaving an emerald elephant squatting among the ruined parts of the robot. "Thank you! I'm here 'til Thursday!" the changeling announced, bowing to the imaginary masses.

Cyborg bent down, sifting through the rubble and scrap. He picked up the robot's facemask, which still grinned eerily. "Robot's armor was strong... looks like it was made out of molybdenum steel..." Cyborg muttered, examining the metal skull.

"That's the same alloy you're made of," Robin said. "And the robot identified you as its objective. You have anything to say?"

Cyborg sighed, dropping the skull. "I don't know. But it looks like someone's trying to contact me," he said. "And it doesn't look like I want to know who that someone is," he added, looking at the remains.

"Might be too late for that," Beast Boy replied, yanking a piece of the robot from the bottom of his boot, reading a small engraving. "Looks like our late friend was a product of S.T.A.R. Labs."

"S.T.A.R. Labs...?" Raven muttered.

"That's the laboratory where my parents worked. It's the place where I died," Cyborg said, looking at his arm. On it was an engraving, identical to the robot's. "And it's also where I was reborn."


End file.
